Tunable laser sources (TLS) have been widely used in optical communication. Generally TLS are fabricated on an Indium Phosphide (InP) substrate platform, typically by butt-joining of a gain chip (or gain section) with a passive section, wherein the passive section may comprise one or more laser mirrors. The gain section may have a band gap close to a target lasing wavelength, and may provide gain through current injection. The passive section (and therefore laser mirrors) may comprise a higher band gap energy than the lasing wavelength and low absorption loss to provide wavelength tuning for the laser. In some cases, is may be desired to have full C-band tuning (e.g., wavelengths between about 1,528 to 1,568 nanometers). It also may be desired to maintain a high side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) in the laser. Additionally, it may be advantageous to have independent control of the output power and wavelength of the laser, such as when using a tunable laser in a wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) network.